


Team Rory

by MidLifeWriter



Category: Gilmore Girls
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-30
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-06 16:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11040375
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidLifeWriter/pseuds/MidLifeWriter
Summary: AU - Post AYITL.Rory Finds out she's pregnant, but that is the end.   Where does she begin after this?Not your typical story.WARNING: Miscarriage





	1. Dead End

**Author's Note:**

> Not your traditional Post-AYITL story.

 

**Dead End**

 

“Rory Gilmore?”

 

Rory and Lorelai stood up and followed the nurse, through the door and into the hall past the exam rooms towards the last one to the right. The room was bigger than the traditional room with all sorts of equipment ready and able to diagnose any gynecological issue.

 

This was the moment she was waiting for. The fabled first nine-week appointment, the event that would kick off the flurry of appointments she would endure for the next 31 weeks or so until her baby was born.

 

The last three months had brought on a whirlwind of events. It started in October, a week or so after her birthday, when Logan showed up to say his “proper” goodbye. After a year and a half of carrying on an affair, it was finally over. They had one last night together before going their separate way forever. He would go off to fulfill the “Dynastic Plan” while she went off the find her place in the big wide world that she had been trying to conquer in the last decade.

 

Then she found out she was pregnant.

 

She couldn’t, wouldn’t believe it at first. How could she, always so careful in this department, but she was there pregnant by her engaged ex-boyfriend with whom she was having an illicit affair. This was the pinnacle of about five years of bad luck and bad decisions. The death of her grandfather sent her over the edge.

 

But in the end, against all logic, she decided to keep the baby and be a mom. Her mother, who was younger and in a more dire situation, did it, so could she. She was sure that Logan at the minimum, would do his part financially (and she admitted, perhaps he would come back to her). She was planning to leave for London in two days to tell him in person. She was preparing herself for any scenario, from him leaving Odette and being with her to him completely rejecting her, and having to go it alone.

 

She was deep in thought when the doctor walked in. After a discussion about Rory’s general health, and a general exam, Dr. Miller left the room so Rory could get ready for her internal ultrasound. The purpose of the ultrasound, Dr. Miller explained, was to see and hear the baby’s heartbeat. Learning that they would actually be able to see her baby at this stage, Rory and Lorelai became very excited. The procedure began upon Dr. Miller returned, “You’re going to feel a bit cold, just tell me if you feel uncomfortable.” The procedure began, Rory looked over to see the screen, “there is your uterus, there are your fallopian tubes, ok let’s keep going.” After a minute of continued probing in silence, Rory became worried,

 

“Dr. Miller? Is there a problem?”

 

Dr. Miller turned and look at Rory with a grave look.

 

“I’m sorry Ms. Gilmore,” Dr. Miller said showing her pointing at the screen, “there is an amniotic sac, but no heartbeat, no activity. Your pregnancy is not viable.”


	2. Mourning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rory deals with this latest crisis. It seems she can never win.

**Mourning**

 

It had been two weeks since learning the state of her pregnancy.   Initially, the news sent her into a state of shock. She remembered sitting there in Dr. Miller’s office after the ultrasound watching his mouth move as he explained the commonality of miscarriages and how they were to proceed. They scheduled a D&C, a procedure that would remove the remains of her pregnancy, for Friday the following week. “I’m so very sorry,” Dr. Miller said sympathetically, “I know this comes as a shock. The good news is that this should not preclude you from ever getting pregnant again. Remember, miscarriage is more common than people know. This is not your fault. Please don’t blame yourself and most of all please take care of yourself.”

 

Two days later, her body started the process of miscarrying. Although it was the greatest pain she ever experienced, she elected to stay home instead of going to the hospital, enduring the ordeal with the help of Lorelai. Four hours later, Rory felt something pass through her and then it was over, no more pain; her pregnancy was done.   It was at that moment that Rory let go. Sitting on the bathroom floor with her mother holding her she wailed and screamed uncontrollably for over an hour. Exhausted physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, Lorelai helped Rory cleanup, change and put her into bed, where she pretty much stayed for the next two weeks.

 

Rory spent the first week pretty much asleep, physically recovering from the trauma that besieged her body. However, as the physical effects started to wind down, the emotional ramped up. Rory lay in bed thinking about not only about the pregnancy, but all of the events of the last five plus years.

 

The future seemed so bright on that day she left for the Obama campaign. Nervous as she was to be thrown into the lions’ den of the journalism world, it was everything she worked for and she felt she was ready. It was hard work, and at times,  she seriously doubted that if she were cut out for it, but she endured, and was good at what she did. By the time the convention rolled she developed a respectable following on Hugo’s website and developed come solid contacts.

 

Then the economic meltdown happened. At first, Hugo was optimistic, reassuring the employees that his investors were solid, that they were a lean and mean operation, and that they would weather this storm and come out stronger.   Then the first set of layoff occurred, “ancillary personnel” as Hugo called them, with Rory taking on of her own administrative duties. Then reimbursement checks started arriving late and assignments started becoming few and far between. By the following April Hugo’s site was acquired by _Gawker_ , widening a large pool of journalists. Competition for positions and bylines became fierce. Rory, already seeing the writing on the wall, applied for other writing positions, aiming for the more reputable publications and media outlets. When those fell through, she looked for jobs in local publications, working as a stringer with several local news organizations. While the work was steady, writing about the latest crime of the week or the local pie eating contest at the summer street festival failed to fulfill her journalistic dreams. After a year or so of this she decided to go freelance full on, chasing stories that she found interesting and exciting; and interesting and exciting it was. Freelancing gave her the freedom to pick and choose, travel to different places, meet new people, and learn new things. It also was emotionally and financially exhausting. After two years chasing the one story that would get her on solid footing, she began to become road weary, wondering whether or not she had made the right choices. The occasional success; an article in _The Atlantic_ here, a pick-up of a piece in _The Washington Post_ there buoyed her hopes, as well as meeting with editors from other publishing and media outlets, but nothing permanent panned out.

It was in the midst of all the professional turmoil, she ran into Logan.

 

It happened in the most random place, a café in Hamburg, Germany. She was there developing a story on noted British Feminist and Environmental Activist, Naomi Shropshire while he was there for a business meeting. While their initial meeting was very awkward, they soon fell into their comfortable banter. They spent the day together, seeing the sites of Hamburg and catching up on life during the past eight years. She got the first-hand accounts of his adventures in Silicon Valley (she knew of his professional success thanks to the internet), his journey back into the fold of the family business, and his engagement to a Parisian heiress whose mission in life was to save the world by raising money for medical research. She shared stories of her adventures on the Presidential campaign, her travels afterward, her current projects, and that she was in a  relationship with a man named Paul. They caught up on their families, mutual friends, and reminisced about the bygone college days.   They parted at the entrance of her hotel with affection filled hug, a chaste kiss on the check and a promise to keep in touch. However, when Rory reached the safe privacy of her room, she dissolved into tears, thinking about what was lost, and what could have been.

 

Six weeks later she found herself in London. Having pitched and sold her story to _The New Yorker_ , Rory continued her adventures with Naomi Shropshire. She spent the first four days shadowing Naomi; attending meetings, having meals with colleagues and friends, spending time in her hometown interviewing her childhood family, childhood friends, and neighbors. On the last day, Naomi fell ill, leaving Rory alone with the temptation to contact Logan. After much debate, she finally did, convincing herself that it would be ok, that he was probably too busy to meet. Alas, she was wrong. They ended up going to dinner, which turned into a long meandering walk, which turned into after dinner drinks. Finally, at the end of the evening, they ended up kissing passionately in front of her hotel, not able to say goodbye. Was is nostalgia? The need for closure? Pure unadulterated lust? Or was it love? Rory didn’t know. All she knew was that they could not let each other go. “Ace? Are you sure? I can go home.” He said, not meaning a word of what he said. Without saying a word, she turned around taking his hand into hers. Together they walked into her hotel.

 

While their night together was magical, in the light of day it looked very different. She missed him, dare she admitted she still loved him, but this did not erase the realities of their lives. Her life was in flux; she was unsure of so much. Moreover, he was engaged thus who knows what he was thinking last night. Later, during room service brunch she addressed the elephant in the room.

 

“Vegas.” She proposed.

 

“As in??” he responded seemingly confused.

 

“As in, ‘whatever happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

 

She saw that he seemed a bit crestfallen, but as she explained her reasoning, he seemed to understand. They lived on opposite ends of the Atlantic, so a relationship was not possible (as she remembered he wanted to settle down.) Her was living a vagabond life and was seeing someone, and well there was the matter of his engagement. It was a wonderful night, now they had closure, they could go on, no harm, no foul.

 

He agreed. He stayed with her while she packed up and took her to the airport, where they said their goodbyes, not knowing if or when they would see each other again. And, just as she did before in Hamburg, after clearing security and out of sight, Rory cried, but this time she felt she had closure. Life seemed to be finally flowing on an even keel.

 

And then her Grandfather died.

 

Pain. A profound pain that she had never experienced (or never wanted to experience ever again.) The loss of her grandfather, her rock, was her most significant loss to date. Without him, she felt untethered and lost. Yet, she had to keep it together because her mother and grandmother were falling apart at the seams. Upon hearing about her grandfather, Logan contacted Rory, offering to fly to Connecticut to lend his support. She turned down his offer, reasoning that his presence would cause waves in an already turbulent situation. So instead he provided is his support remotely, through short phone calls, encouraging voicemails and texts, and lengthy nightly Facetime conversations. He expressed his support when she cried, helped her write, refine, and rehearse her eulogy, and was her last conversation before she left the house for her grandfather’s funeral. Later, when she arrived back in London, he met her at the airport, where he took her to his home where he cared and comforted her as only he could. In the month following her grandfather’s passing, Rory found herself in London even more. Having her _Talk of the Town_ piece on Naomi Shropshire published in _The New Yorker_ , the project started to grow in ways that she could not imagine. There was talk of a biography, of which she would get coauthor credit. Conde Nast called for a meeting, along with _SandeeSez_ , a fluffy “girl-power” website. Finally, she felt, after many years on the plateau, life seemed to be headed on an upward trajectory.  

 

The week after having that thought, life started to unravel again.

 

It started with her meeting with Conde Nast being pushed, followed by an article for _The Atlantic_ being dropped. Then Naomi started showing her true colors. What started as what she believed to be a symbiotic relationship, turned toxic very quickly. Behavior that Rory first saw as eccentric and unique soon became impulsive and annoying. Naomi started standing Rory up for appointments or, when she did make them, arrive late and rarely sober.   Almost every fiber of Rory’s being was telling her to abandon ship and drop the Naomi Project, but she needed this, she would say to herself, don’t give up, bear down and deal which she did, throughout all the drunken ramblings, the arguments over mice and whales, the missed appointments, and mood swings. Finally, weeks later, Rory was unceremoniously fired over the phone by Naomi’s lawyer; she couldn’t even do it herself.

 

Unfortunately, getting fired from the Naomi Project was one of a series of ill-fated events. There was nearly getting caught my Mitchum Huntzberger during lunch with Logan (at a Huntzberger family invested restaurant, which Logan neglected to tell her.) She had been venting about Naomi when Mitchum happened by their table, condescendingly sarcastic about the Naomi Project, and offering his help to get her Conde Nast meeting done. Once she got the Conde Nast project, the article she decided to pitch, “Line in New York” didn't interest her at all. So much so that she fell asleep during one interview, and ended up having a one-night-stand with the subject of another. The final straw was the _SandeeSez_ interview, one she thought was a shoe in. It turns our Sandee enthusiastic pursuit was nothing more than to get Rory to interview; she came to the meeting ill prepared and left rejected and angry. By the summer, she was back at home, unemployed, and emotionally and financially drained.

 

After landing in the comfort of Star Hallow, Rory struggled. She told herself (and everyone else) that she wasn’t “back” and that she was taking time to regroup, that she was planning her next move. To add insult to injury, matters with Logan began to deteriorate rapidly. After a weirdly too honest conversation with April, Rory felt compelled to flee, so she called Logan hoping to extend their planned visit, only to find that Odette had moved in a few weeks earlier. When he proposed her staying in a hotel the reality hit her; she was Logan’s side girl. The prospect made her feel sick. “Come out like we planned in a couple of weeks and we will figure it all out.” He asked. She agreed but didn’t feel good about it.

 

Moving on she took on the reigns of _The Stars Hallow Gazette,_ where she grappled with ancient equipment and an even more ancient staff. She struggled with a readership that also didn’t like change. By the second issue, she kept some things, changed some things, and seemed to be able to find a balance between the old and the new. Still, she still felt stuck. Working for free at her local paper kept her busy, but she was still at a loss at what to do in the long term. Going back on the freelance road seemed daunting. Perhaps she could find another route, considering maybe looking to get into PR or another writing/journalism related field. It was in the midst of this that Jess reappeared, stopping by to say “hello” as he came into town, there to work with Luke to get his mother and TJ out of their latest mess. They sat at her desk, imbibing a liquid lunch, while she poured out her frustrations. “ I could have been a contender.” She declares. “You’re still a contender.” He assures her. He suggests to her that she write a book on her life with her mother. She is intrigued. That evening she sits down and goes through the Gazette archives, finding the blurb that introduced her and her mother to Stars Hallow, “Mom’s named is spelled incorrectly”, she thinks and giggles to herself.

 

The next few weeks she filled dozens of journals with blurbs, thought, and memories about her and her mother. From those blurbs and outline starts to form, and a story is born. For the first time is a long while she is excited about writing; she remembered what she loved about writing in the first place. She felt her mood lighten and more energetic. It affected her to the point that she even remembered dates with Paul (the book was all she talked about when they got together.) With this renewed energy, she was able to formulate an exit plan from Stars Hallow, perhaps a move to Queens and bigger and better things. All was looking up and then she told her mother.

 

Lorelai did not like it. The prospect of her life being spelled out for public consumption did not sit well with her. Tried as she might to convince her mother of the merits of the project and just how important it was to her, Lorelai would not budge, causing a rift between them. Rory immediately moved out of the house, taking up residence at Lane. It was during a rant session with Lane that Rory inadvertently called Logan. “It’s what I do! I get upset and I call Logan.” After a series of accidental calls, they finally have their first honest conversation in a very long time. He’s engaged, his fiancée has moved in, “so we’re breaking up, except we can’t break-up because we were nothing.”

 

However, this was Logan, and he never did things the easy way.

 

The week after her birthday,  he visited her one last time. With the help of Colin, Finn, and Robert, he staged an elaborate night, of playing, drinking, and dancing. The night took them from the rooftops of Stars Hallow to the basement the housed a secret Tango bar. “Why did you come?” she asked Logan, “It was my turn to walk Finn…and I didn't like the way we left things.” Despite everything, he still wants to take care of her. He offers her a key to their family home Maine, encouraging her to write her book. “You have to do this"  he implored.

 

"Are you really going to marry Odette?” She asked him

“That’s the Dynastic Plan.” He replied.

They end up in a Bed and Breakfast in New Hampshire, where they spent one last night together. The next day they said their goodbyes, “ I think the days of you rescuing me are over” she told him.

 

“You never needed rescuing Ace, you know that.” He replied

“I do now.”

And with one last dramatic look, Logan walked out the door for good.

 

Determined not to wallow, Rory set out to write her book. She wrote in the place that made her feel the most grounded, her grandfather study. In one setting, she wrote the first three chapters. It was effortless. Later rereading her words, she couldn't help but smile. It was the first piece of writing she had been proud of in a very long time. Accomplishing this gave wind to her sails. She knew writing this story was something she was meant to do. She went to share it with the one person she knew would understand, her mother. After weeks of no contact, it was time to bridge the gap. Rory made the first move, coming to Lorelai’s house in the middle of the night for one of their late night snacking/talking sessions. After setting up the table with the usual snacks, Lorelai and Rory embraced, all was forgiven. It was during this discussion that Rory gave her mother the first draft of her book. “Read it, ” she said, “and if you are uncomfortable in any way, then I won’t finish. No harm, no foul.” Lorelai agreed, and they moved on.

Motivated by the success of her book, Rory hit the freelance road again, determined to earn enough money so that she could move into her own place by winter. It was during this time that she started feeling strange. No matter how much sleep she got, she still felt tired. Strange smells hit her at inopportune moments. It was when she found herself throwing up her lunch that she realized she was late. She went to the dollar store in Woodbury to buy a test. It turned out positive. She went back to the dollar store and bought a 20 pack, and took 2-3 a day for at least a week, hoping that the results would change. They didn’t; she was pregnant.

She was gobsmacked, dumbfounded. She counted the days since her last period and groaning at the realization of who the father is. She couldn't believe that she was in this position.   For the next week she vacillated on what to do. Terminate or proceed? Parent or adopt? Tell the father or not? She sought answers, reading blog post of women sharing their experiences of unplanned pregnancies, going to her father trying to get his thoughts on not raising her.   She wanted so desperately to talk to her mother, but she was in the midst of getting ready for her long-awaited wedding and didn’t want to burst her bubble, so she kept it inside.

 

Her mom and Luke’s wedding weekend arrived. With all the excitement in the air, Lorelai still took the time give Rory back her manuscript. “You go ahead and finish it, I’ll read it when it’s done. If I don’t like it, I’ll just sue you ass…”

 

“Just one note”, Lorelai adds, “drop the ‘The’. _Gilmore Girls_ , it’s a lot cleaner.”

 

Rory is excited, she see’s Jess on the porch, who is about to take off to stay with his mom. “Jess! Look the first three chapters!” She yelled in delight. He smiled back at her.  She went inside and immediately wrote another three chapters.

 

That evening, feeling her first-trimester pregnancy, she falls asleep on the couch. It’s midnight when her mother awakens her. She and Luke decided to get married that night, and then do a second ceremony again the next day.

 

It was such a bittersweet night for Rory. She was so happy for her mom and Luke. She even sighed with relief when Lorelai and Luke were pronounced husband and wife. They celebrated all night with the next day Luke leaving them for an hour or so to check on the opening of the diner. Lorelai and Rory sat at the gazebo, watching the sunrise, discussing the night's previous events. Then she got the text from Paul, “ _Rory, due to our ever conflicting schedules, I think we should break-up. Take care, Paul.”_

 

It was that moment that it all came crashing down, “I can’t believe the way I treated him. I suck.” The thoughts started flooding in, not only about Paul, but her affair with Logan, sneaking around, her bad career decisions, The Wookie, SandeeSez, Naomi firing her, and now she was pregnant, unemployed and alone. Her emotions welled inside of her, she couldn’t take it any longer.

 

“Mom?” Rory said starting to cry

 

“Yeah?” Lorelai replied somewhat absentmindedly.

 

“I’m pregnant.”

 

Lorelai sat there dumbfounded.

 

“Mom? Say something please.”

 

“That’s wonderful Rory, just wonderful.”

 

However, it really wasn't

 

For the next two weeks, Lorelai did not speak to Rory. Even though they lived in the same house, Lorelai still managed to avoid her and any conversations about her pregnancy. At the end of the second week, Rory confronted Lorelai and a fight ensued, enlarging the gulf that was already between them. It took Emily’s intervention to get them talking again. In the end, mother and daughter made up and together they thought through how Rory was to proceed with her pregnancy.

 

In the end, she decided to go on with the pregnancy and parent. It was not a hard decision. Although she knew it would be hard, she knew hat she had the love and support of her family and friends. That worked for Lorelai at sixteen and she knew it would work for her at thirty-three. She contemplated her future, making plans to draw money from her trust fund so she could fund her schooling to get her Masters in Education. She made plans to tell Logan, planning until after her first ultrasound so to have something to give him when they had that all important conversation.

 

Her plans were set, and she had to admit she was a bit excited.

 

Then the ultrasound day arrived. The horror of that empty screen seared in her mind. Her pregnancy was not viable. Another plan ruined.

 

What to do now?


	3. Intervention

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With some pushing a prodding, Rory gets back on track.

**Intervention**

 

Rory woke up to the sound of conversation from the front room.  Assuming it was Luke and Lorelai getting ready for the day, Rory turned to her side.  As she watched the sunlight streaming through her curtains, she contemplated the day, trying to get the motivation to get out of bed and accomplish something.  It had been three weeks since her miscarriage and try as she might, Rory could not muster up the energy to leave the house, let alone get out of bed.  She would get up now and then to eat a small meal, get some water, go to the bathroom, but anything beyond that burned too much energy.

 She heard a knock on the door, “Rory? Can I come in?” Lorelai gently walked into the room. “How are you doing sweetie?” she asked.

 “The same. I have no energy. I was hoping to get up and do something today, but still not feeling up to it. Maybe tomorrow, I do have to make an appointment with my doctor. Maybe there is something going on with my hormones.” Rory rambled, trying to make excuses.

“How are you physically? Besides tired, are you feeling any pain?”

“No.”

“No bleeding or anything?”

 “No, nothing.”

 “No headaches, nausea, lightheadedness?”

 “No”

“Ok then.” Lorelai got up, and with a determined look, opened the curtain, raised the shades, and headed for the kitchen. Seconds later Lorelai marched back into her room, banging on a pan with a wooden spoon. “Come and get her!” she cried.   In that instant two more people rushed into the room, pulling Rory out of bed and pushing her out the door and towards the living room.   It wasn’t until they made it to the foot of the stairs that Rory realized that it was  Lane and Paris pushing and prodding her up the stairs.

They took her to the bathroom, where Lorelai was waiting with the shower running. Lane and Paris immediately started stripping Rory of her clothing. Standing there totally naked Lorelai gave her an ultimatum, “you can either get in there and shower yourself, or I will get in there with you and shower you. You know I will do it.” Rory did as she was told and got into the shower.   She had to admit, standing under the warm water did feel good, releasing a lot of tension built up in her muscles.  It would have been a  more peaceful experience had she not kept getting orders from Loreal, Lane, or Paris to, "wash behind your ears!” “Don’t forget to condition your hair.” Or “Don't spend too much time in there or you'll get wrinkly.” Once her shower was over, Lorelai, Lane, and Paris dragged her out, rubbed her down with oil, and dried her hair. Next, after Paris checked her blood pressure, heart, reflexes, and breathing, they helped Rory dress in fresh clothing and then marched her down to the kitchen to breakfast fixed by Sookie; pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, and eggs.  Muffins, pastries, and coffee. Lots of coffee.  Lots of CAFFEINATED coffee.

Once breakfast was over, the five of them piled into the car and drove to a skating rink in Woodbury. There Rory was given the direction that they would take her home only after she did 20 laps around the rink. Together five of them put on their skates and stepped onto the rink.  While Rory knew how to ice skate, it always took her a while to get acclimated to her skates and the ice. The first five laps were clumsy and slow, causing Rory to stumble a few times. Soon though, she got her bearings, becoming more fluid and faster with each lap.  An hour later,  Rory found herself completing her 100th lap to the applause of Lorelai, Sookie, Lane, and Paris.   As she took off her skates, Rory felt a surge of energy. She realized for the first time in three weeks, she had not thought about her pregnancy, or Logan, or all the mistakes she made in the past five years. For an hour, she just lived in the present and it felt good, in fact, the best she had felt in a long, long time.

 Later, while getting coffee, in the midst of the chatter, Rory finally spoke up. “Thank you ladies, for doing this.  Had you all not stepped in, I would still be in bed.”

 They all looked at her with much love and sympathy.  “Oh honey,"  Lorelai replied, "we understand that this has been hard for you, but you have to live Rory. We couldn’t let you fade away.”

 "It's been a tough year for you.  I understand the miscarriage was the straw the broke the camel's back.  You’ve had a bad time, you’ve mourned, and it’s time to move on to the next phase,” Lane added.

 “You're tougher than this. You can conquer this.  Luckily, you've hit rock bottom, so there is no way but up now.” Paris declared.

 “And sweetie, you know we are always here for you. We’ve always got your back.” Sookie implored.

“I know” Rory responded, “Life goes on, and it’s time I got one.  Life has not turned out the way I thought it would, but maybe that's because it was not meant to be the way I pictured.  I can't find out where I'm supposed to be if I don't leave the house.   So, again, thank you. Thank you for doing this. I’m so lucky to have you all in my life.”

Rory raised her coffee cup and declared, " To bigger and better things!"

"Here here!" toasted Lorelai.

The five of them clinked their mugs with the same hope in mind, that Rory would find a way to heal and move on to the next stage in her life.

 

 

 

 

 

 


End file.
